


You're flying like an angel

by Ely_Pines



Series: The Ultimate Voltron S8 AU [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Day 4, F/M, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, M/M, They're all hurt, Whumptober 2018, klance - kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 15:09:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16349042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ely_Pines/pseuds/Ely_Pines
Summary: Despite still recovering, Keith is willing to rescue an alien ship  that had lost control on its way to Earth.





	You're flying like an angel

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 prompt: "No, stop!"

Lance was entering the common room for a eight o’clock breakfast when he heard Pidge saying these words to the screen wall.

“No, stop!”

She was already dressed up but judging by the cup of tea on the lounge table and her messy hair, she was also in the process of waking up. Except the tea was almost cold for she had been screaming at the screen, clutching his fist - and sometimes her jaw when she couldn’t find other words to throw at the stupid person she was obviously talking to.

Lance didn’t mind (he simply thought she could have had this conversation in her room, rather than in the Cafet’) too focused on the preparation of his first meal of the day. He came to the countertop and picked up a banana from the fruit basket then, having peeled it, started eating it, while opening the fridge to get inspired.

“Keith, for the last time-!”

__Keith._ _

Lance jumped and nearly hit his head on the fridge’s edge. He mindlessly toss the rest of the banana on the countertop while running to where Pidge stood. She looked at him with a painful expression. In front of them, the screen had been connected to the hanger’s cameras. A lone figure could be seen, going aboard one of the Lions. The Black one, to be specific.

Lance turned to Pidge, horrified.

“What the quiznak? What the fuck does he think he’s doing?!”

Pidge sighed.

 

***

 

It was a quarter to eight in the morning when Pidge had entered the Cafet’. Keith was already there, eating his breakfast with a pouty face. The girl assumed he hadn’t sleep well for yet another night and the only reason he hadn’t begun his day earlier was because he had tried sleeping until now. Pidge went behind the kitchen island to prepare her cup of tea.

“Hey man” she said to Keith with a voice she hoped sounded cheerful.

“Hum” growls back the emo-guy.

She rolled her eyes but didn’t make a comment. She opened the cupboard to grab a plate and put on some snacks and one of the remaining chocolate pudding from Hunk’s latest baking session - these things were crazily delicious and she intended to eat them all without being spotted by the others.

She came sitting in the couch facing the giant screen on the wall, Keith sitting still poutily on the couch to her left. She picked up the remote and glanced at him.

“You mind if I watch some T.V.?” she asked him.

He shrugged and didn’t look up. She assumed it was a no.

She turned on the T.V. and start browsing through the channels. T.V. was like at its most exciting state since the beginning of its existence and at the same time, at the most frustrating; aliens were now part of the programs - humans could see the weather forecast brought to them by a Puigian or, more surprisingly, by someone from Bii-bo-bi’s people. There was also that cute cooking show with an Arusian Hunk never miss to watch or that one in the evening, a science show animated by a couple composed of a human and an Olkari. However, as the Reconstruction was barely in Phase One, only some geeks were in charge of keeping the two channels’ broadcasting to the entire planet and thus, many hours remained empty of any programs. An infinite potential wasted by the lack of resources - and installations, thanks to the Galra. So that was for the frustrating part.

At last, there was a good news program.

“...burning as it’s entered our atmosphere. Our experts say that...”

The remote fell from Pidge’s hands and even Keith took his eyes away from his mug to look at the screen.

“What...?” he stammered as they watched the footage of an alien spaceship leaving a dark gray cloud behind him due to its wings currently on fire.

Pidge hurried to retrieve the remote and turned the volume up. They both leaned forwards as if that would help them understand the situation.

“The ship has been noticed when it didn’t look like slowing down” the presenter, a neatly-dressed woman with flaxen hair, remembered the audience “and as for now, it still hasn’t show any sign of it yet. The Beijing Outpost has managed to contact them.”

Followed the recording of said contact: a male Puigian was explaining to the camera the trouble his crew had encountered when entering the Earth’s atmosphere. The camera was shaking and screams of terror and anger could be heard in the back. The footage ended with the Puigian begging for help.

Back to the pretty lady. She was reading the latest news from the experts. A rescue aircraft had already been sent - as soon as the alien ship had caught fire - but according to the scientists, it was unlikely it would reach them on time. The truth was: the ship was heading for the Himalayas, where the Galaxy Garrison had no relay. The aircraft sent came from Beijing, the nearest one, but because it was big enough to catch the ship in distress, it was as equally slower. Experts were trying to come up with another rescue plan but there was, really, little they could do - Earth’s fleet was yet to be fully operational or simply sufficient in term of number.

The two Paladins watched the news with horror until Keith jumped to his feet and rushed towards the exit. Pidge didn’t understand at first, until she looked at the camera from the hangar’s ceiling and saw Keith heading for his Lion.

“And that’s the story” the girl concluded.

Lance looked properly shocked.

He turned to the screen and yelled.

“Keith, you idiot! Get back here right now!”

“Lance? Wha-?”

Keith was already inside Black and Pidge had thus switched to the Lion’s channel so they could see him, helmet on, ready to take off. For one second, when he heard Lance’s voice, he looked confused - but then he shook his head and quickly regained his composure. The Black Lion roared and took off.

“Sorry guys” the Paladin said “but I have to do this.”

“No, you don’t!” Lance shouted back. “You can’t-”

But Keith cut him off, suddenly sounding irritated.

“Lance, just stop. The Lions are the only ships faster and powerful enough to rescue that ship.” he explained. “Right now, I’m their only hope.”

Lance opened his mouth but shut it almost immediately. He started biting his lower lip nervously. Pidge had the Lion’s route displayed in a corner of the screen wall, right below the T.V. channel. She began running simulations to offer to Keith the best approach possible. Lance watched her doing her maths, feeling completely useless - and his gut clenching.

“Pidge, he can’t do it! And you know that!” he whined pitifully.

The girl briefly closed her eyes. She stopped her calculations for a moment, to allow her to reach for her mug. She drank the cold tea in once and winced at it. Then, without looking at Lance, she replied:

“Unfortunately, Keith’s right. The Prometheus will never make it on time. And even if it does, I don’t see how they could proceed without putting themselves in danger.”

“But...”

Lance bit his lip again, tears coming up to his eyes.

“But he can’t do it...”

“Lance.”

He looked up at the screen. Keith was staring directly at the camera - Lance didn’t know if he could actually see them but he assumed he could. Keith’s voice was softer when he spoke.

“Listen, Lance. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

He mildly smiled and Lance felt his heart sinking. He swallowed and let himself fall on the couch behind him. So, that was it. There was nothing he could do anymore. Just wait and hope for the best.

For shit’s sake, why was he able to sleep this morning? Of all mornings! If he hadn’t, he could have prevented Keith from going. Or he could have gone with him. Even better: instead of him. If that meant saving him... Lance closed his eyes.

He could remember the day he had woken up. All his family was there. He was so happy and relieved he wanted to hug everyone at the same time. Except he couldn’t. He wasn’t even able to sit. Against all the odds, the Paladins had survived their fall from the upper atmosphere. It was a miracle but it didn’t come without a price.

Every single one of their bones was broken.

For days, they couldn’t even move. Every time they tried, either it hurt like hell or it simply didn’t worked. It took them a week to be able to sit in their bed, three to get out of it. Now, the doctors had indeed authorized them to go outside. But they still couldn’t run, swim, least of all train. The bright side of their current life was that they weren’t engulfed in plaster. The downside was: any movement could tear their bones apart - and despite the metal rods attached to them.

In short, _no_ , there was absolutely _no way_  Keith could come out of this thing “fine”.

And the dumbass couldn’t have ignored it when he left.

Pidge cleared her throat.

“Okay, listen Keith. What I’m gonna tell you is your best way of doing it. So pay attention.”

She then proceeded to explain to him the manoeuvre he’d have to perform. When she finished, he nodded.

“Copy that. Thank you, Pidge.”

The next five minutes passed in silence. Keith flew to the location of the alien ship while the two Paladins watched his progress on the screen.

“I’ve got visual!” Keith suddenly shouted, “Starting the manoeuvre now!”

Lance was back to his feet, nervous as ever. Because his lip was already hurting, he had switched to biting his thumb. Pidge tried to stop him but quickly, as Keith aligned the Black Lion to the ship, she forgot to looked at him and he continued. When the two front paws had firmly grabbed the two side of the ship, Keith shouted thought the radio, towards the ship’s crew.

“Hold on tight! I got you!”

Then he pulled back.

And screamed with pain when the bones of his arms got ripped to pieces due to the effort.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments give me life!  
> Also: the next two chapters will be Pidge-centered. Because I think I'm low-key in love with her.


End file.
